To ban cooking for teenage boys

[Boysfood]

I have 3 teen ds 15,17 and 19.

They cook all the time. Breakfast lunch , I make dinner they then cook in evenings and when getting home. My electric bill is too high.

I’ve asked them to have cereal or toast or instant porridge etc for breakfast. Sandwiches etc for lunch and snacks to be something that doesn’t need cooking. We always have these type of things available but they ignore me and start cooking. I can’t remove the oven etc and they often do this when I’m out or in bed. Only 19 year old works so I can charge him more rent to cover his share but others still in education and I don’t know what to do .

Having had teenage boys, I sympathise with how much food they eat. But the total lack of respect when you explain how much it is costing would be the main issue for me. As for people having a go about the oats, thats ridiculous. You put a roof over their heads, food in their bellies and they wont even let you have that?! Not on at all. Have you ever gone full on banshee and totally lost your shit at them? Sounds like possibly not, so it might be time.

Whats wrong with cooking a couple of bags of pasta in one go and then reheating it when they want some?

Air fryers are good because not only are they cheaper to run in general, they are quicker so on for less time. Rice cookers can be used to cook pasta too, although it can take a bit of practice. Brownies etc can also be cooked in an airfryer.

You might be able to point them at additional sources of protein - I'm thinking things like eggs, beans and lentils that are relatively cheap. There's definitely NHS / dietician guidance around for healthier eating on lower incomes that talks about pulses and frozen / tinned veg. Even if you're not on the poverty line, some of the ideas may help feed hungry teenagers cost effectively.

You don't have little children anymore and living with teenagers needs a bit more compromise. Baking at midnight is a bit antisocial if it's keeping others awake. Not washing your own dishes / tidying up after you've cooked is definitely antisocial. But cooking itself is using the kitchen facilities for their intended purposes and not objectively objectionable.

Do you like any of the things they cook? Since you've got good cooks in the house you could try asking them to cook dinner for all of you some nights of the week encouraging them to make a big enough meal to fill them. That might give you a better idea of quantities needed.

Are they willing to try new recipes? To adapt classic recipes for extra protein while that's their 'thing'? If they're cooking the same things all the time they'll get bored of them eventually.

It's also February and cold. Wanting hot food multiple times a day now is quite reasonable and is unlikely to continue in the summer - you have a season specific problem.

Haven't read everything. But one positive thing is they can cook for themselves. When my ds went to university some lads couldn't cook a thing. My guy had no problem as he was cooking since he was 12. He has always looked for recipes and tries new foods. Its a stage but maybe look at it as independence so it's not so annoying

I’m with you. Why can’t they eat a sandwich or have toast. Why does have to be the whole shebang every time. Kids don’t seem to eat sandwiches now. My teens don’t even though they had them growing up.

God, people will be complaining that kids read books next. They can cook! That's good!

If each one cooks 2/3 times a day it soon adds up.

So you want the nice organic oats for yourself and the cheap stuff for your children? And you begrudge your teenage boys hot food? They are HUNGRY!!! And you expected other mothers to be on your side? What is wrong with you?

Mummy martyrs out in force I see.....

Seems a shame to discourage them wanting to cook it’s a great life skill to have.
I understand it might be the cooking cost but I expect using the kettle and buying things like instant porridge instead of regular oats isn’t saving money either.
The problem with toast and cereal is it’s high carb low protein so they won’t get full.

How wonderful that your boys cook. You should encourage them! Obviously, they should be tidying and cleaning up after themselves as well.

I think it might be the fact that you have possibly 4 people all cooking at seperate times, numerous times a day which will obviously use more power than if 1 person was cooking the same meal for everyone at same time.

Good they can cook their own food many youths just eat shit like pot noodles and can’t cook. Fine if they clean up after themselves.
Charge the older one more rent to cover the bills if needed

@pouletvous

what do you think OP should cut back on? Money she spends on her clothes? Make up ? Hair cuts? Socialising with her friends?

If they keep disrespecting your rules then privileges disappear such as the WiFi etc and when over the age of 16, they can find somewhere else to live if they feel that it'll be cheaper elsewhere.......

Let them cook and eat. Well done them.

Gosh I don’t know why people are being so mean to you! This would piss me off too, mostly because it’s disrespectful to keep doing something you’ve been asked to stop doing. But I think it’s probably better to create a situation where they can stuff themselves and it’s cheaper and more efficient.

The air fryer is a good shout. Maybe they can take it in turns to cook extra stuff for all three of them so that it’s just ‘one extra cooking session’ per day? Buy plenty of pasta etc and encourage batch cooking as others have suggested. I think that teenage boys eat loads. I find my 12 year old already eats lots and I get annoyed as he’s always eating all the treats and leaving none for the rest of us!

Also maybe work on making bigger portions for dinner time? Bulking out with pasta etc

YABU, it’s good that they’re cooking at all, a lot of boys won’t and end up man children.

If they’re cooking AND cleaning up so no mess for you , then I’d be fine with that .
You could have a rule such as the kitchen is closed by say 8.30pm no more cooking after that time as I can imagine sausages and bacon being cooked late at night is going to make the house smell just as you’re probably thinking of clearing things up and settling down for evening then bed .
So if they need a snack it’d have to be something that doesn’t need prep and cooking .
Only my youngest lives with us and doesn’t cook but then once I’ve got the dinner prepped , cooked m eaten and cleared up she wants to start making cakes and I know for a fact I’ll be left with the mess so I sometimes say no to that .
I would be happy if she was cooking decent meals and at dinner time .

I'm with you OP. Annoying. Late at night no cooking in my house. Wakes me up and they don't wash up. They can have four Weetabix and banana and milk. They need to learn to be considerate. Particularly if you're working and paying. (They do sometimes cook late at night but if they wake me up I have to remind them. Again. No.) I'm a single mum paying all the bills. My house my rules.

Instant porridge isn't as healthy, and more expensive than a pkt of oats. 80p for a kg bag of oats in Aldi

OP sorry but I think you are being unfair here. They either honestly really love cooking, in which case it's a legal, safe hobby and should be encouraged, or they are actually always hungry in which case it is your role to give them appropriate access to food. It's you who's being disrespectful to them here. You are not feeding them enough and then moaning about them feeding themselves - that's disrespectful unless you are helping to control weight gain for a child or mentally impaired adult who is unable to understand that they are hurting themselves by eating, which isn't the case if none of them is overweight.

@Boysfood you've said that the meals you cook them are enough for them to eat, but clearly they’re not as despite all the extra food they’re consuming they’re not overweight. If you’re struggling with the cost of the electric, then sit down with them and show them the bills and come up with a plan between you rather than trying to dictate to them. Re your oats, I personally think it’s rather mean for you to have luxury oats and give your sons the cheap ones - if I was them I’d be very hurt. I’d give my family the luxury ones and eat the cheap ones myself.

Junk food ? Toast fruit cereal ? OP didn’t mention junk food

I think it’s great they’re cooking. My 16 year old DD occasionally sticks something in the air fryer but otherwise would only live on anything she can grab and go with least effort!

I suspect a serious sit-down conversation might work, starting with “I have a problem and you are the only ones who can help”